State overview: AARP poll ahead of DNC puts Hogan and Alsobrooks neck and neck in U.S. Senate race; MCAP results show slight improvements in student testing nationwide

According to the AARP poll before the DNC, Alsobrooks and Hogan are tied: In the race to succeed Senator Ben Cardin in the US Senate, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan and the Democratic administrative head of Prince George's County, Angela Alsobrooks, are tied at 46 percent to 46 percent. 8 percent of voters are still undecided, according to a survey published on Tuesday by the senior citizens' lobby AARP. Staff/MarylandReporter.com.

• Hogan holds a narrow lead among voters over 50, leading Alsobrooks 47 percent to 45 percent in the poll, the survey showed. However, the poll – which surveyed 600 likely voters between Aug. 14 and Aug. 20 – does not reflect any additional boost Alsobrooks may have received from last week's Democratic convention. Lateshia Beachum and Patrick Svitek/The Washington Post.
• But the poll also suggests that Hogan may fall just short of the Democratic support he needs for a guaranteed win – and that Alsobrooks, who is currently less well known to voters, has even more room to move up in the final two months of the campaign. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
• Alsobrooks and Hogan are vying not only for their own chance to represent Maryland, but also for their party's control of the Senate. Maryland is one of the few states where the outcome of the Senate election could change the balance of power. Democrats currently hold a slim majority of 51 to 49. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.

EXPENSIVE STATE PENSION ADVISORS RELY ON RISKY STRATEGY: Some state retirees and outside observers see red flags surrounding Maryland's $67 billion pension fund, including $800 million in annual management fees and warnings from a ratings agency about risky investments. They question an investment strategy that relies on private equity, real estate and hedge funds – so-called alternative investments designed to boost returns – but that has led to underperformance compared to other states. Peder Schaefer/The Baltimore Banner.

SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENT TESTING ACROSS THE STATE: Spring 2024 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program standardized test results showed little overall improvement in English and math, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland State Department of Education. The percentage of MCAP test takers in English and math who scored proficient in each increased by less than one percentage point. About 48.4% of students scored proficient in English and 24.1% in math. Annie Jennemann/The Baltimore Sun.

• While newly released data from the spring 2024 MCAP standardized tests showed little change in statewide scores in English and math, what about individual schools? Annie Jennemann/The Baltimore Sun.
• After receiving the results, the State Board of Education lowered its goals for student proficiency over the next two years, tempering expectations set in June at the request of state officials who said the revised metrics remained ambitious. For example, officials lowered the benchmark for math proficiency among third- through eighth-grade students from 46 percent for the 2025-2026 school year to 37 percent by 2026. Nicole Asbury/The Washington Post.
• Data come from tests of students in third through eighth grades in math and language arts. Additional results come from specialized math courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. Student proficiency is also measured in science for fifth and eighth grade students. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
• While Baltimore school districts saw gains on Maryland's annual math and English tests, student performance in other parts of the state stagnated. Students in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties made steady progress on both tests, far exceeding their pre-pandemic scores, but lagged in math. Liz Bowie and Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
• Harford County public schools showed slight gains in English and math over the past year, according to Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program data released Tuesday by the State Board of Education. Matt Hubbard and Annie Jenneman/The Baltimore Sun.

PROPOSAL FOR FIGHTING 3^rd CLASS READERS RAISE CONCERNS: Education experts from across Maryland testified before the State Board of Education on Tuesday, raising concerns about a bill that would force students to repeat third grade if their reading skills are not at grade level. They noted that repeating a grade could have negative effects, particularly on students from marginalized groups. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.

STATE IS CLOSE TO AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE KEY BRIDGE: A Nebraska-based company is the favorite to win the contract to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Kiewit Infrastructure topped the list of three qualified bidders despite submitting a cost estimate nearly 3.5% higher than its competitors. But when the state bid on the project, engineering outweighed price, and Kiewit ranked first among the bidders in engineering experience. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

TOO DAMN HOT: B'MORE DPW PREPARES BREAK IN GARBAGE COLLECTION: In a surprise announcement, the Baltimore Department of Public Works said it was “preparing for a possible pause” in garbage collection and recycling operations on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to protect the health of garbage workers. According to a news release, garbage collection crews will begin work earlier on Wednesday and will be pulled from their routes if conditions become unsafe. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.

B'MORE IG RUNS FOR A SECOND TERM: She's taken on some of Baltimore's highest-ranking politicians and is now ready for a second term. This week, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming made official a request that none of her predecessors could fulfill: She asked her independent board to keep her in office after her term expires this year. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.

MORE THAN HALF OF THE OPEN TEACHING POSITIONS IN THE BA-CO SECTOR ARE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION: More than half of the open teaching positions in Baltimore County schools are in special education classes. Human resources director Homer McCall II told the school board Tuesday night that the district still had about 70 open teaching positions after the first day of school, compared to 126 earlier this month. He added that 123, or 70%, of the schools in the district had no open positions and no school had more than four. Dillon Mullan/The Baltimore Sun.